Sophia Verkleeren ’25 began swimming by a mere twist of fate. “Swim practices were at the same time and place as my brother’s wrestling practice,” she said. It was not her first choice of sport as a six-year old. “I wanted to do ballet, but my parents made me do swimming, and I hated it,” she said.
For a swimming career with such begrudging beginnings, Verkleeren’s success in the pool has been remarkable. Verkleeren, who will conclude her college swimming career at the NCAA Swim & Dive championships this weekend, is one of the most successful swimmers in the College’s history: She has 20 NESCAC titles, four NCAA titles, five school records, and three consecutive NESCAC Swimmer of the Year awards, in addition to many other accolades.
“Sophia is one of the best swimmers to come through this program and has had a tremendously positive impact on our team culture,” said Assistant Swim & Dive Coach Allie Clark. “Her impact and legacy will last for a long time.”
After a successful high school career in Horseheads, N.Y., competing at the club and high school levels, Verkleeren committed to the College despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the recruiting process. “We couldn’t conduct recruit weekends so we did lots of phone calls and zoom calls,” said Head Swim Coach Steve Kuster. “I can remember a few conversations with Sophia during that time. She was somebody you could tell wanted to be good.”
According to teammate Charlotte Wishnack ’25, because of pandemic restrictions, recruits had to pick schools with less information than usual. “During COVID, I really didn’t get a chance to see the school or the team at all,” she said. “Sophia and I have discussed a couple of times that we both took a shot in the dark.”
Verkleeren’s decision to commit to the College was also influenced by Molly Craig ’22, a swimmer Verkleeren said she had known from home who was then in her final year at the College.
As soon as she stepped foot on campus, Verkleeren realized that swimming at the College was intense — providing an urgency she felt had been missing in her swimming career up until that point. “In high school, I swam five days a week for an hour and a half,” she said. “Here, it was a pretty quick switch to doing nine practices a week and lifting.”
Despite the demanding training schedule, Verkleeren was up to the challenge. “It was a transition I was ready for, because in high school I was wanting more time in the pool.”
The extra swimming quickly paid off for Verkleeren. “Freshman year was a big improvement for me,” she said. “I dropped a ton of time … just from being in a new environment with a supportive team.” That year, Verkleeren won a NESCAC title in the 100 backstroke and took second place in the 200 backstroke at NCAAs, also finishing fourth in the 100 backstroke and 200 IM. Additionally, she led off the 200 and 400 medley relays, which each finished fourth at NCAAs.
Incredibly, as a sophomore, Verkleeren surpassed her standout first season. “I remember [as a first-year] watching people win their events [at NCAAs] and being like, ‘Wow, I want to do that next year,’” Verkleeren said. And she did. In addition to five NESCAC titles, she won two individual events at NCAAs — the 200 backstroke and the 200 IM.
“Winning that first event was an insane feeling,” she said. “I just started crying.”
Verkleeren’s success at nationals didn’t shock her teammates, who were familiar with her work ethic. “Honestly, I was not particularly surprised, because I had seen her working hard all year,” Wishnack said.
What did come as a surprise, however, was winning the Div. III Swimmer of the Year award at the 2023 NCAA meet. “We couldn’t hear the loudspeaker very well from where we were sitting, and our coach was waving at us and trying to get our attention, because they had just announced her as swimmer of the year, and she was totally oblivious,” Wishnack said.
As a junior, Verkleeren had to manage the expectations set by her success the previous year. “There was a lot of pressure,” she said. “As soon as you win, there’s pressure to win again.”
Despite this, Verkleeren lived up to her lofty standards as a junior. She swept a whopping seven events at NESCACs and won the 200 IM at NCAAs, as well as the 400 medley relay with her teammates — her first NCAA title as part of a relay.
“Sophia’s excitement after her relay team won a national title in the 400 Medley Relay last year was also a top memory,” Kuster said.
In her senior season, Verkleeren is focused on taking it all in. “Being a senior gives you some perspective,” she said. “The thing I will remember after swimming is not what time I went at this meet, or what place I got at this meet, it will be more about how I felt cheering on my teammates, or how I felt after a hard practice. Just trying to be more in the moment around my teammates has made this year more enjoyable.”
As a captain, she’s also excited about the team’s growth. “This is the biggest team of women that we’ve had going to NCAAs that I’ve been a part of, so that’s really exciting,” she said.
According to her coaches and teammates, Verkleeren’s leadership this year has been critical to the team’s success. “Beyond her undeniable strength in the water, Sophia genuinely cares about each of her teammates and is committed to creating the best experience possible for everyone, both in and out of the pool,” Clark said. “She has a great ability to build strong, meaningful relationships where people feel seen, heard, and supported.”
Verkleeren’s team-oriented attitude and versatility were on display at this year’s NESCAC meet, which the Ephs won in a close battle over Tufts. “At NESCACs this year, she swam some events that were not her main events, because that was what our team needed,” Wishnack said. “That’s a pretty unique thing — that she’s willing to give up events she loves for the team.”
As Kuster noted, Verkleeren won two individual events this year at NESCACs that she had never competed in at the meet before – the 100 and 200 butterfly. “One of the things that really stands out is the range of events she can swim at a very high level,” he said. “She won the 200 fly with the second-fastest time ever swam by a Williams [women’s] swimmer.”
Now, Verkleeren turns her attention to the NCAA Championships in Greensboro, N.C., which begin today and last through Saturday. She will be competing in five relays, the 200 backstroke, and the 200 and 400 IM. “I am going into this meet confident with my training, ready to give it the best shot I can,” she said.
As her collegiate swimming career concludes, Verkleeren is deeply satisfied by her time with the program. “I’m really grateful for the four years I’ve been able to have here that have been so amazing and definitely shaped who I am,” she said.
